In the current foodie, Instagram-crazed world that we live in, daring and eccentric tends to lead the way—especially if it looks good in a photo. So, imagine my surprise when I heard of cheese tea, yes, cheese tea. Who knew? (Story continued click on picture above)

From the friendly folks at h.wood Group with their finger firmly pressed on the pulse of everything posh in Los Angeles comes Petite Taqueria. Other nightlife venues from the group include Delilah, The Nice Guy, Blind Dragon, The Peppermint Club, and Poppy among others, and Petite Taqueria combines hip hotspot with good eats. (Story continued click on picture above)

The return of Masters of Taste means foodies can once again savor the finer things and be part of L.A.’s premier outdoor, luxury food and beverage festival taking place on Sunday, May 6 from 3pm to 7pm on the field of the historic Pasadena Rose Bowl. (Story continued click on picture above)

Culinary fusion has been a popular trend for years. Blending cultures to create flavorful dishes is a fine concept—when it works. But lets face it, they often tend to be safe pairings. So, when heard about Ainoko and its Mexican Omakase, well, I was very interested. (Story continued click on picture above)

Monkey Shoulder, the blended malt Scotch whisky, has brought fun back to serious cocktails in a big way, with the introduction of its oversized Monkey Mixer. Drawing cheeky inspiration from a cement truck’s design, the traditional cocktail shaker has been upgraded and transformed into the ultimate cocktail machine. (Story continued click on picture above)

I always love the notion of ‘getting away without getting away’, a short daytrip respite to recharge and refuel. That can include a day in the mountains, an adventure in wine country or something as simple as a drive to Santa Monica to experience some North Italia cuisine. (Story continued click on picture above)

There’s something to be said about being able to improve on a classic. It’s rarely ever done right as it’s a hard feat to improve on a tried and true favorite. Case in point, the classic Zombie—a rum-based Tiki legend. And this drinking season the dynamic duo of Jesus Gomez and Adam Vaughn at The Raymond 1886 brought to life their Zombie Apocalypse and this scotch Zombie boggles the mind and taste buds. (Story continued click on picture above)

Dinner theater, in my opinion, never brings to mind a quality production of any sort. Personally, I imagine the blue haired set watching a sloppy show eating an early bird dinner. That’s not the case with live entertainment at Rockwell Table & Stage in Los Feliz where the eats are solid, the entertainment daring and the energy always high. (Story continued click on picture above)

Elton John’s Academy Award viewing party has become a beloved tradition in this town. And this year, on Sunday, March 4 at West Hollywood Park in West Hollywood, Crumble Catering will once again prepare over 1,000 five-course meals in a massive undertaking seamlessly executed by some of the top Chefs in the industry. (Story continued click on picture above)

Props to Katsuya L.A. LIVE for proudly showing off its L.A. team spirit by crafting some creative concoctions in support of L.A. teams Lakers, Kings and Clippers. (Story continued click on picture above)

Our good friends at Fat Sal’s are at again. Never ones to be satisfied with a simple or ordinary sandwich, they definitely believe bigger is better and simple sucks. (Story continued click on picture above)

Looking back at 2017, there were plenty of fine meals and liberating libations had. While I relished trying new restaurants and bars, as well as revisiting venerable favorites, a few special meals stood out among the pack. This is just me looking back so there’s no real ranking among these favorites of mine. (Story continued click on picture above)

Let’s face it, not every meal is going to be a five-star affair. Our wallets and waistlines couldn’t handle that. Sometimes we just want a solid meal without the need for overindulgence. (Story continued click on picture above)

I’m not really a sports bar kind of guy as I prefer better quality eats and definitely demand better cocktails than your average run of the mill sports bar can manage. But, every once-in-a-while, I don’t mind watching the big fight or big game in a sports bar setting—you know, ample big screens with grub and suds to go around. (Story continued click on picture above)

Chef Michael Hung of XO on Beverly believes in letting love take over with his cuisine. Best known as the chef who opened Faith & Flower, Hung’s latest concept offers a California-Asian menu where he likes to muse “food is love”. (Story continued click on picture above)

La Brea Avenue has seen quite the revival over the years, first with Rascal in 2011, then with the addition of chic shops, which replaced the rows of rug and antique stores. Posh eateries like République, Sugarfish, Sycamore Kitchen, and Odys and Penelope followed. And now celebrating its second year, Commerson, a popular neighborhood bistro, is another reason to pay a visit to the Mid Wilshire district. (Story continued click on picture above)

All good things must come to an end and for the cast and crew of Hulu’s original series East Los High, graduation day came in the form of a Season 5 TV movie (now streaming) that brings closure to the story of the faculty and students at an East L.A. high school. (Story continued click on picture above)

The new year will start with the closure of tried and true foodie favorite as Twohey’s Restaurant in will close on February 1 after serving family-friendly American fare, including its famous burgers, onion rings, and award-winning soda fountain hot fudge sundaes, for the last 75 years. Sadly, the original Twohey’s Restaurant’s lease was not renewed. (Story continued click on picture above)

A new year and a new season is upon us and that means that a brand-new cocktail menu is now being served at The Raymond 1886—the boldest and most daring cocktail haven in these drinking parts. The new winter cocktail menu is aptly titled The Final Solstice and it is 11 drinks strong—from a potent Zombie to a ‘ginny’ liquid science experiment to wintery goodness in a glass.(Story continued click on picture above)

There are a million ways to celebrate New Year’s Eve in the City, some grand and some subdued. I sometimes opt for low-key as the rest of the year tends to be at a manic pace but sometimes celebrating with a fine meal is joyous enough. (Story continued click on picture above)

You have to hand it to actor Danny Trejo as he just never seems to slow down these days. The former character actor turned leading man turned restauranteur is not so quietly taking over the L.A. landscape with his Trejo’s Tacos, Trejo’s Coffee & Donuts, and Trejo’s Cantina. (Story continued click on picture above)

I hate to use the term “speak easy” as I think it’s played out these days but every once in a while, a bar comes around that makes you work to find it and the payoff is (or at least should be) absolutely satisfying cocktails. Downtown’s Birds & Bees is such a bar—find the hidden yellow door and enjoy cool craft cocktails—as is Sunset & Vinyl—a cocktail lounge with no visibility or signage tucked neatly above 800 Degrees Pizzeria in Hollywood. (Story continued click on picture above)

There are several different schools of thought by meat eaters when it comes to meatless cuisine. Some are apt to try; some think it’s a healthier option; others scoff or run away; and some just don’t get it. As a food blogger, I’m open to try just about anything and, personally, I’m a fan of a lot of vegan food, although the idea of Tofurky or turkey from a box just sounds wrong. (Story continued click on picture above)

Sometimes simple is best. And because not every dining experience can be fine dining, I’m always on the lookout for a good, casual spot to enjoy an affordable meal. Enter BIBIBOP Asian Grill, a Korean style concept offering healthy, sustainable dishes with an Asian twist. (Story continued click on picture above)

Pizza is one of those special food items that I grew up with. It was and still is an absolute favorite. It’s also one of the only few dishes that I can think of where I’ve said, you can’t mess up pizza. But I know better that than. Indeed, pizza is not just pizza. There’s good pizza and then there’s off the charts good pizza. (Story continued click on picture above)

I’m a huge fan of Thai cuisine but I usually tend to stick to my tried and true favorites. But occasionally I will branch out so when I got the call to try Emporium Thai in Westwood, I was game.(Story continued click on picture above)

People who know me well know that I’m a big fan of quality day drinking. Relax, no intervention is necessary, I just like a long, lazy day spent with damn fine cocktails. And when you can combine that favorite pastime of mine with a quality meal, well, now you’re talking about brunch! And one my new favorite Downtown LA brunch spots is Pez Cantina with its bottomless fun. (Story continued click on picture above)

I’ve written about Madera Kitchen before, I love its décor and setting and could see that it was on the cutting edge of the revitalization of the Cahuenga Corridor, which has now seen the neighborhood become one of the city’s hottest spots in part thanks to Madera Kitchen and The Running Goose before the TAO Group propelled it to new heights. (Story continued click on picture above)

I have to admit it’s a little off putting and somewhat scary when a restaurant uses the term “fat” in its name. And we’re talking “fat” not “phat”. It makes me wonder do they know something I don’t? Is this their way of taking no responsibility as you gain immediate poundage or assume no liability when cardiac arrest strikes? Either way, I have to hand it to the creators of Fat Sal’s (Josh Stone and Sal Capek) because their oversize sandwiches are mighty tasty. (Story continued click on picture above